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Big Ten session 2 discussion

Brackets

Four Hawkeyes Advance to Finals at B1G Championships

Brackets

LINCOLN, Neb. -- University of Iowa senior Alex Marinelli headlines a group of four University of Iowa wrestlers moving on to the finals of the 2022 Big Ten Championships.

Marinelli, Austin DeSanto, Jaydin Eierman and Tony Cassioppi won semifinal bouts Saturday night at Pinnacle Bank Arena and will wrestle for conference title Sunday beginning at 3:30 p.m. (CT) live on BTN.

Marinelli is wrestling for his fourth straight Big Ten title. The three-time defending champion scored a takedown with one minute, 16 seconds left in the third to win 3-2 against third-ranked Dean Hamiti of Wisconsin. With a win Sunday afternoon, Marinelli would become the eighth four-time Big Ten champion in program history.

He is joined in the finals for the second straight year by DeSanto and Eierman. Cassioppi is a first-time finalist. The Hawkeye heavyweight scored a reversal with four seconds left in regulation to force overtime and opened the first sudden victory period with a takedown in 20 seconds. Cassioppi will wrestle Minnesota’s top-ranked Gable Steveson in the finals.

DeSanto earned his second straight trip to the finals with a 4-3 win against Lucas Byrd. DeSanto erased a 2-0 deficit with consecutive escapes in the second and third period, and sealed the win with a takedown in the final 16 seconds of the match. He’ll face Penn State’s Roman Bravo-Young in a rematch of the 2021 conference finals.

Eierman advanced to the finals for the second straight year, winning by medical forfeit against Rutgers Sebastian Rivera. He will also get a rematch of last year’s finals, this time as the No. 2 seed against No. 1 Nick Lee of Penn State.

Michael Kemerer medically forfeited his semifinal match and will finish the tournament in sixth place, securing a spot at the NCAA Championships. Max Murin dropped his semifinal match, surrendering a third-period takedown in a 3-1 loss to top-seed Sammy Sasso.

The Hawkeyes went 10-4 in the second session, including a 6-2 mark on the backside of the bracket. All 10 Hawkeyes earned an automatic qualifying spot at the 2022 NCAA Championships in Detroit on March 17-19.

Drake Ayala split a pair of matches at 125. Ayala secured an automatic berth at the national tournament with a 12-3 major decision in his opening bout, but was bounced to the seventh-place match with 5-2 loss in the consolation quarterfinals.

Kaleb Young moved into the top six and secured a berth at the NCAA Championships with consecutive wins at 157. Young defeated Robert Kanniard (RUT), 10-5, and earned the automatic berth with a 5-3 decision against Chase Saldate (MSU).

Abe Assad’s 9-0 major decision against Layne Malczewski (MSU) earned him his second career NCAA berth at 184. He qualified as a true freshman in 2020. Assad fell in his second match, 4-3, and will wrestle for seventh-place on Sunday.

Jacob Warner swept a pair of matches on the backside of the bracket to advance to the consolation semifinals. Warner’s 10-1 major decision against Jaron Smith (Maryland) secured a berth at the NCAA Championships. He picked up his second win of the evening by defeating Gavin Hoffman, 4-2.

Iowa is third place after Day 1 with 109.0 points. Michigan (116) and Penn State (111.5) sit first and second in the team standings.

QUOTING COACH TOM BRANDS

“Day 1 is in the books, and we have 10 (NCAA) qualifiers and four in the (Big Ten) finals, four where they want to be. We have another day of wrestling. Let’s put an emphasis on Day 2. Go out and do your thing and wrestle your match.”

UP NEXT

Session III of the Big Ten Championships begins Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT) and will be streamed on B1G+. The finals, third-place, and fifth-place matches begin at 3:30 p.m. The finals are televised live on BTN.

NOTABLES

Drake Ayala is the fourth true freshman to earn a spot at the NCAA Championships under Brands (Nathan Burak, 2013, Spencer Lee 2018; Abe Assad 2020; Drake Ayala 2022).Alex Marinelli is one win shy of his fourth straight Big Ten title. There have been seven four-time conference champions in program history, the last was Mark Ironside in 1998.Tony Cassioppi advanced to his first career Big Ten Championships finals. Cassioppi is a two-time third-place finisher.Ten Hawkeyes earned automatic berths to the 2022 NCAA Championships. It marks the third straight year and sixth time under Tom Brands that Iowa is sending it’s entire lineup to the national tournament.

SEMIFINAL RESULTS

133 - #2 Austin DeSanto (IA) dec. #3 Lucas Byrd (ILL), 4-3

141 - #2 Jaydin Eierman (IA) mff. #3 Sebastian Rivera (RU)

149 - #1 Sammy Sasso (OSU) dec. #4 Max Murin (IA), 3-1

165 - #2 Alex Marinelli (IA) dec. #3 Dean Hamiti (WIS), 3-2

174 - #1 Carter Starocci (PSU) mff. #4 Michael Kemerer (IA)

285 - #2 Tony Cassioppi (IA) vs. #3 Greg Kerkvliet (PSU), 6-4 SV1

CONSOLATION RESULTS

125 - #6 Drake Ayala (IA) dec. #12 Jacob Moran (IND), 12-3

125 - #8 Patrick McKee (MINN) dec. #6 Drake Ayala (IA), 5-2

157 - #2 Kaleb Young (IA) dec. #8 Robert Kanniard (RUT), 10-5

157 - #2 Kaleb Young (IA) dec. #6 Chase Saldate (MSU), 5-3

184 - #5 Abe Assad (IA) major dec. #6 Layne Malczewski (MSU), 9-0

184 - #8 Kyle Cochran (MD) dec. #5 Abe Assad (IA), 4-3

197 - #4 Jacob Warner (IA) major dec. #11 Jaron Smith (MD), 10-1

197 - #4 Jacob Warner (IA) dec. #9 Gavin Hoffman (OSU), 4-2

FINALS MATCHUPS

133 - #2 Austin DeSanto (IA) dec. #1 Roman Bravo-Young (PSU)

141 - #2 Jaydin Eierman (IA) vs. #1 Nick Lee (PSU)

165 - #2 Alex Marinelli (IA) vs. #4 Cameron Amine (MICH

)285 - #2 Tony Cassioppi (IA) vs. #1 Gable Steveson (MINN)

CONSOLATION MATCHUPS

149 - #4 Max Murin (IA) vs. #6 Mike Van Brill (RUT)

157 - #2 Kaleb Young (IA) vs. #5 Peyton Robb (NEB)

197 - #4 Jacob Warner (IA) vs. #3 Cameron Caffey (MSU)

SEVENTH-PLACE MATCHUP

125 - #6 Drake Ayala (IA) vs. #9 Dylan Shawver (RUT)

184 - #5 Abe Assad (IA) vs. #10 Isaiah Salazar (MINN)

TEAM STANDINGS

1. Michigan 116.0

2. Penn State 111.5

3. IOWA 109.0

4. Ohio State 72.0

5. Northwestern 70.5

6. Nebraska 65.0

7. Wisconsin 58.5

8. Minnesota 55.5

9. Rutgers 37.0

10. Purdue 34.5

11. Michigan State 33.0

12. Illinois 26.5

13. Maryland 14.5

14. Indiana 4.0
 
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Lee gone and Kem hobbled has definitely crippled the good guys, but they are still fighting. Where would PSU be if they lost Lee and Brooks? Behind the Hawks, that is for sure. No complaints here, Iowa is doing their best with the shitty cards they have been dealt this year. Solid round for the good guys!
Precisely. Injuries matter.
 
Cass walked by with a big leg wrap😢
I don't know what happened to Cass's knee but if it's shaky you sit this one out. Sad to see this great Iowa class limping a good deal of the year and even worse going into NCAA's. Dammit.
I posted about this earlier today. By his reactions, it looked like he tweaked his knee his first match. He didn’t appear to be limping afterward but did seem to be grimacing a couple of times.
 
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Cass vs Kerk. Cass with a white left leg wrap.

No score. 1 min left. Not much action. Cass holding his left leg back. Not limping though.

End of 1st. 0-0

2nd- Cass on top. Reversal Kerk. 0-2. Escape Cass 1-2. End of 2nd.

3rd- Cass on bottom. Cass Escape. 2-2. Kerk with 22 sec RT. Kerk with a TD. 2-4.

Cass gets a reversal on the edge! Kerk only has 59 sec of RT. Cass rides him out to end the 3rd. Going OT!


Cass in in a shot and wins 6-4 in OT! Wowza! Clutch!
That was an amazing finish!
 
Lee gone and Kem hobbled has definitely crippled the good guys, but they are still fighting. Where would PSU be if they lost Lee and Brooks? Behind the Hawks, that is for sure. No complaints here, Iowa is doing their best with the shitty cards they have been dealt this year. Solid round for the good guys!
Spencer's usual points after the semis minus Ayala's plus a healthy Kem and we would be sitting around 133 now.
 
Great win for Cass but he totally wrestled the match Carl scripted to give Kerk the win minus the mental lapse reversal at the end. He let Kerk play the slap and tickle steal it late game. Also got nailed on kerks riding counter.
 
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Looking through all the brackets and matchups left and Iowa can really control how it all ends up. Backside guys can still do work, and head to head in finals could be big.
 
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Gotta say I’ve been shocked by Michigan’s performance to this point. We all knew they have the talent, but they’ve peaked the way Iowa used to. We will see if they can seal the deal today.

PSU will pass them. With the exception of Suriano, Michigan is looking at some tough matchups - Ragusin/Bryd, Micic/whoever, Lewan/Deakin, Amine/Bull, Massa/Starocci, Amine/Brooks, Parris/Kerk.
 
PSU will pass them. With the exception of Suriano, Michigan is looking at some tough matchups - Ragusin/Bryd, Micic/whoever, Lewan/Deakin, Amine/Bull, Massa/Starocci, Amine/Brooks, Parris/Kerk.
I think you’re correct, but I didn’t expect Michigan to be in this position. I thought they would fold like they usually do.
 
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PSU will pass them. With the exception of Suriano, Michigan is looking at some tough matchups - Ragusin/Bryd, Micic/whoever, Lewan/Deakin, Amine/Bull, Massa/Starocci, Amine/Brooks, Parris/Kerk.

Michigan needs Amine to beat Brooks and and Parris to take third to have a shot. If PSU gets 5 champs they are winning. If Brucki has made the 197 final Michigan would be sitting good.
 
I think you’re correct, but I didn’t expect Michigan to be in this position. I thought they would fold like they usually do.

I think Kevin Jackson deserves some credit here. He really is a great one-on-one coach. He's just a lousy head coach - can't organize a trip to the toilet.

BTW, as anyone who's met him knows, he's a just a really good guy.
 
PSU will pass them. With the exception of Suriano, Michigan is looking at some tough matchups - Ragusin/Bryd, Micic/whoever, Lewan/Deakin, Amine/Bull, Massa/Starocci, Amine/Brooks, Parris/Kerk.
Micic will receive points for a forfeit by Rivera this morning, but yeah, the rest of their guys will have to step up and win some tough matchups for them to maintain their lead
 
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